


All Your Sins Washed Clean

by erosorcus



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: AU, Colonist Shepard, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Near Death, Pre-Canon, Revenge, Slavery, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:13:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28904667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erosorcus/pseuds/erosorcus
Summary: Done for the old kink meme: Using the Colonist background, Shepard doesn't survive Mindoir-- she is taken and enslaved and rescued by a drell assassin taking down the slavers who killed his wife.I want to see these two killing of batarians left and right and maybe finding some solace in each other.
Relationships: Thane Krios/Female Shepard
Kudos: 7





	1. On Waves Of Blood

Hours ago, the security system announced an intruder. Most of the Masters left the room to go fight him, leaving her with only the youngest. Ulok. Master Ulok. He liked it when she screamed. Ulok the Cruel, she called him, in her private moments.

He watched the door, gun in hand. Ready to defend himself. To protect her, right? She had value, didn't she?

The door never opened. Minutes became hours, became now. Ulok sat in his chair, eyes still on the door. No words came across the comm on his omnitool. No one cleared that the intruder was gone. No one came to see them.

Then she felt a presence walk past her and looked up as three shots fired from a pistol. One slammed into Ulok's wrist, making him drop the gun. He stood, tall, his skin green, dressed in dark leather covered in... That was blood. Spots of the coat were burned, torn.

Ulok stumbled to his feat, only to be slammed back down by the strange alien, his gun cracking against Ulok's face.

The alien's posture was tense. Strong. She found her heart racing in her throat. Who was he? Why was he here? Why was he hurting Master Ulok?

“Who the-- Krios!” Ulok cried out. From where she sat, huddled against the wall, she could see the fear on his face. He was in danger. She should save him, right? Rescue him.

She stared at his face, then remembered a similar expression on the face of a boy huddled under a kitchen sink, his eyes only visible through the cracked cabinet door. She remembered hands, pulling her, dragging her, her grip tight on the kitchen island. She remembered screaming. The boy's hand over his mouth, his bright blue eyes full of terrified tears.

She remembered being shoved into a cage. The prods. The electricity. Her nails broke on that kitchen countertop.

“It's been some time, Ulok,” the alien _growled_. She felt her heart leap into her throat. The alien's foot came down on Ulok's throat.

“You can't kill us all, Krios,” Ulok snapped. He looked over to her, his eyes meeting hers. She thought about all the times he looked at her.

Contempt. Disgust. Lust. Cruelty. Rage. Anger. He used her to satisfy the desires he had to make someone scream, to make them hurt. The blood he spilled from her body stained these walls, this floor.

And now, he might lay there dying in front of her. She should save him. Protect him. He owned her. He was Master Ulok.

Another gunshot went off and Ulok screamed. And again. Blood seeped out around his knees. He wouldn't be able to stand or walk. Why did she feel so detached?

And yet... So happy?

The alien sat in Ulok's chair and stared down at him. When Ulok moved, the orange of the alien's omnitool glowed as it formed into a blade. Blood splattered up as the alien stabbed down into Ulok's wrist, making him scream.

She crawled forward, keeping herself low to the ground and keeping as quiet as she could.

“You aren't the first one, Ulok,” the alien said. Krios, Ulok called him. “You're the last one left.”

“Shepard!” Ulok called. Shepard. It was the only name she went by anymore. She stopped, her fingers wrapping around Ulok's gun.

She could feel the alien's cold stare at her as she scrambled to sit up and turn, aiming the gun. Dark eyes stared at her. Angry. Violent.

She shivered, her finger twitching and pressing against the trigger. The resulting shot echoed in the air. Blood pooled on the floor.

She stared at the blood as she dropped the gun, shaking. She did that. She just took a life...

“Who are you?” Krios asked her. She looked up at him.

“I... Don't remember my name,” she admitted. “They call me Shepard.”

“Why are you here?”

“They took me from my home. Why are you here?”

He looked at her, then down at Ulok's corpse. “They took my home from me.”


	2. A Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard decides maybe there are other purposes in the galaxy for her.

His name was Thane Krios, Shepard learned as they traveled to a place called Omega. A waypoint, he told her. They would take a ship from there to The Citadel, and see if they could find any remaining family she might have. She could go home at last.

But where was home? It had been so long, Shepard forgot where she came from. She had flashes of memories. Fragments that made half-sense.

“They killed my wife,” he told her. “I had to make them pay.”

“Why did you keep me alive?”

“You were not involved,” he said. “You are as much a victim as she was.”

It felt strange. To be called a victim. She never felt like a victim; just... What did she feel? Broken? Tired? Used? She couldn't even remember how long it had been, or how old she was. She knew she was sixteen when they captured her, but the years... They blurred together.

“What will you do after we find my family?” Shepard asked him. Thane looked at her, then looked down and away. Almost like he was unsure, or ashamed.

“I am unsure,” he admitted. “I have spent years hunting my wife's killers. There is not much left for me in the galaxy.”

Shepard tilted her head. To tell the truth, she was unsure if her family was still alive. And if they were, would they even want her? She looked down, at her hands, half-covered by his coat. He'd given it to her as they left. Her Masters never gave her clothing. Why would they? She was nothing. A toy. A slave. Not even a person.

“I don't think I want to go to The Citadel,” Shepard said to break the silence between them on the shuttle. The only other thing she could hear was Thane's rattled breathing. She could feel him staring at her.

“Where will you go?” He asked her. She kept her eyes on the floor. That was the million credit question, wasn't it? If she was free, and had no family, no home... Well, that was true freedom, she supposed. No attachments. But her whole life, she had served or been attached. How does one just... Go on without that? What would she do with herself? What did she even enjoy doing?

She thought back to the death of her masters. She saw the man she killed; a hole blown through the bottom of his head to the top. Blood and brain matter, on the floor and the wall. His lifeless eyes still wide in shock, but now glassy. It felt so fucking good; the gun in her hand, her own liberation.

“Killing Ma-Ulok... Felt good,” she admitted. She even kept his gun. It sat beside her, now. “There's probably something fucked up with me, for me to say that, but I did just spend... I don't even know how long, at the end of a rope. They would've killed me when I got too old for their liking.”

She _heard_ the leather of Thane's gloves tighten. When she looked, his eyes were out the window of the shuttle; she couldn't see his face. An assassin, with a good heart. Timidly, tentatively, she placed her hand on his thigh.

“There isn't much left for you, you said. And I don't know if I have anything...” Shepard bit her lip; she could feel her pulse in a vein in her throat. Rapid. Strong. _Alive_. “So maybe we could have each other?”

“What are you implying?”

“There's more slavers in the galaxy than that little merry band,” she said, forcing herself to stay calm. Just a touch, her own touch on _his_ leg, was making her heart race. “Why don't we join together and take some more out?”

“That was your first kill,” he pointed out. “You would be a liability.”

“Not if you train me,” she argued. With renewed determination, and a smidgeon more bravery than she had when this first started, she moved to sit in his lap, forcing him to look at her. His eyes stayed _firmly_ on her face. “I don't want anyone else to suffer the way I have, or to go through what you did.”

He stared at her, but she watched as he swallowed, the muscles in his throat easily visible in the clear, bright light of the shuttle, underneath green skin and red... She was unsure what to call it. It didn't matter. Here, now, she was looking at the man who saved her. He was just as alone as she was, it would seem. Maybe they could change that.

“Shepard, I cannot agree to this,” he argued as his hands grabbed her by her hips and started to lift her up. He had a stronger resolve than she expected.

“ _Thane_ ,” she said. The first time she said his name. He stopped, and stared into her eyes. Several moments passed before his gaze traveled to her lips, her jaw, her throat. To her breastbone, and the space between her breasts; both hidden by his generous coat that he, likely, was cursing out, internally, right now. His grip on her hips tightened, nails digging into soft, pale flesh.

“You are desperate for a purpose.” He paused. “And you expect me to give it to you.”

“Will you?”

He took a deep breath as his gaze languidly traveled back up to her eyes. He had such beautiful eyes for an alien. What even was his race called? She had never seen one before.

All she knew was he was beautiful in the darkest of ways.

“Yes.”


	3. A Mouthful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Thane pursue a Batarian slaver, and bite off more than they can chew.

Omega became their first, and last, stop together. No better training grounds in the galaxy than one filled with seedy mercs and seedier bars. Thane arranged for an apartment for them; a base to go to when they needed, and a place to sleep when they were afforded it.

Several months passed since that day in the shuttle. Shepard was not one for finesse and precision, but she was a good infiltrator in some ways. She could harm her way into places; distract when needed. It seemed to put Thane's mind at ease that her hands would not be so stained with blood. That she would not drown in the same sins he prayed for redemption over.

Shepard looked over their ammo supplies as they got ready for a trip. Lower levels; half a day's trip. The target was a Batarian man named Barvenk. Shepard had not asked why he was important. Truth be told, she had a tendency to target Batarians indiscriminately. Thane tried to break her of that habit once or twice, but it never stuck. And, to be fair, he had not tried all that hard.

“You're to get him alone,” Thane told her as they headed out. “Get him into the men's room stalls.”

“Intimate. I could just take care of him there, on my own,” she offered. He shot her a look. The look. She smirked. “What? You never let me have any fun.”

“I will be waiting.” Strict tone. Those were orders. Shepard sighed. He seemed so concerned with her innocence.

In every aspect of the term. She tried to tell him many times before; she hadn't been “innocent” since she was stolen. He would have none of it. Sometimes, he pretended to not even hear her. But he seemed focused on protecting her. It drove her nuts most days. Today, it made her want to test the limits.

“When this job is done, we will be going to The Citadel,” he told her, after a couple of hours of silence. “Should the worst come to pass, I would not want you to be alone.”

Shepard said nothing at that. Thane was practical. A realist. If he was talking like this...

He coughed into his hand and she felt every muscle in her body tense. Was he sick? Had he not told her? Had she not noticed? What could be wrong with him?

“Don't give me that look,” he said, pointedly. “Shepard, you are my last loose end to tie up. Grant me this.”

“I can take care of myself now,” she mumbled. “If I do have family, I don't want them taking me away from you. Not yet.”

“You've grown attached?”

“Well, yeah,” she muttered with a shrug. “You saved me. Took me in. Trained me. Every day that I've spent with you has made up for the pain I went through with Ulok.”

“That... Begs some considerations,” he said with a thoughtful expression. He must have chosen to not notice. To not _see_ how she felt.

Shepard fell silent after that, tilting her head back against the passenger's seat of the car. They'd drive, for the majority of the trip, and then walk for the last third. Her feelings did not matter. Not right now. All that mattered was the job ahead. Barvenk...

###

Barvenk was an easy man to find once they arrived at the bar. He had an Asari and a Human woman on either side of him, both will collars around their throats. Shepard approached with a fake smile. Just get him alone in the bathrooms. No big deal.

“Now, it isn't every day I get a human walking up to me,” he told her. Thane should have been there. They could have arranged it as a “sale”. Who the hell were they even killing this guy for?

“I've heard about you,” Shepard said as she closed the gap between him. He was tall, or rather, she was just short. On Thane, she came up to his chest. Barvenk was even taller. “I wanted to see if the stories were true.”

“Depends on what you've heard.” He smirked. She might be able to do this after all, then. The way he looked at her reminded her of her Masters.

“I could tell you,” she said. “But I prefer to do so in private.”

_Take the bait!_

“I'm more of a public man, myself.” Shepard bit back a hiss at that. Would it ever be so easy?

The human woman at his side approached and ran her fingers along Shepard's cheek, as the Asari took her hand and pulled her closer. The Human looked slightly concerned, while the Asari had a defeated look in her eyes. She knew that look well. She wore it herself, not even that long ago.

Barvenk brought his hand up to grip her chin. All four eyes focused on her, as if nothing else existed. And then, they narrowed.

“You look familiar. Do you have a name, human?” he asked. Shepard felt her heart race in her throat. If he recognized her, there would be trouble.

He asked for a name. If she said Shepard, and he _knew_ Ulok... She had to make something up. But what? Time was running out. He would not wait forever.

“Catherine.” It sounded familiar. Why did it sound familiar? Was that her real name? Or maybe her mother's...

“Catherine...” He shook his head. “No. Never heard that one. Almost uncanny.”

He released her and she breathed a sigh of relief, until his hand gripped her throat and he pulled her into his lap.

“If you've heard anything about me, you know what kind of man I am,” he growled. “Women like you get swallowed up by men like me.”

“Maybe that's what I want,” she told him, her voice dropping to a low and husky pitch. She felt him come to attention underneath her. “Let's take this somewhere private, hm?”

“I want you now,” he growled.

“Meet me in the men's restroom,” she whispered. “And then I'm all yours.”

He, begrudgingly, released her, then watched as she walked away. Her heart raced in her chest. That was almost bad.

She snuck into the men's bathrooms and waited. And waited. She started to pace, until she heard someone enter. Then, she ducked into one of the stalls. If it _wasn't_ Barvenk, she didn't want to risk a bad situation, after all. Then again, what she was doing with Barvenk was risky to begin with...

She listened, waiting, as the man relieved himself, then washed his hands and left. Not Barvenk. Smart move to hide, then. A few moments later, she heard footsteps again.

“Catherine?” Barvenk. She peeked out of the stall and he _grinned,_ wide and predatory. She swallowed, hard. Men like him were monsters. She'd lived with them long enough in her life.

He didn't wait for her to exit the stall; instead he grabbed her throat and pushed her back into it. Stalking. Predatory. He was a beast. She was prey. But that wouldn't last long. She trusted the assassin who saved her. She trusted _Thane_ , more than she trusted even herself.

He hauled her up, by her throat, to sit on the back of the toilet, and released her so he could close and lock the stall. Panic started to set in. Where was Thane? Had he decided to abandon her? Was that what this was?

Too shocked to move, she didn't hear Barvenk. He slapped her, hard, then ripped her shirt open. He called her an idiot, insulted her, and for a moment, she was back at Ulok's complex. Scared. Docile. _Tame_. Not the creature Thane had rehabilitated, but instead, a shy and demure mouse.

“What happened to the girl at the bar?” Barvenk demanded, his hand around her throat again. “You were so confident. What gives? I don't wanna have to do all the work.”

Something in her finally snapped and she grabbed his arm, pulled herself up and _slammed_ her feet into his stomach. He groaned as he released her and she fell, hard, against the toilet, but managed to pick herself up. She lunged at him as he held his stomach, and grabbed his throat. Her legs wrapped around his torso and she brought one hand up to press her thumb into his eye. He howled in agony, one hand trying to pull her away while the other fumbled with the lock on the stall.

Shepard didn't remember what happened next. It all became a blur of blood and screams. At some point, he had thrown her off, and tried to go for his gun. When she came to, her pants were torn, with an ugly gash in her leg, but Barvenk was dead. An omni-blade stabbed into his wrist, his throat, and his crotch. She was covered in his blood, as well as some of her own as she sat there. One of the sinks was busted from their fight, water spraying onto the floor and saturating the blood spilled.

She stared at Barvenk's dead body, chest heaving, until she felt a hand on her head. She looked up, and felt relief wash over her. _Thane._..


End file.
